


Time & Tide Volume One

by rae_marie



Series: Echoes In the Universe [6]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Dr Nyarlathotep, Gen, So be warned, also it starts off with a lot of angst oops, blair kenneth verse, but then there's also fencing, fluff in a library, some of it offscreen but still described, this one has a lot of horror in it, tw horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-06 19:40:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17945885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rae_marie/pseuds/rae_marie
Summary: Blair and the Master start noticing small temporal disturbances - ones that are worse than usual. When it sends them on a quest, what will they find?





	1. Episode One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, readers! Thank you so much for staying with this series :D  
> Just wanted to give you a second heads-up for horror, angst, and death, all of which is thrown at you from the beginning of chapter one.  
> But anyhow, I hope you enjoy this new volume; again, thank you so, so much for reading.  
> <3 <3

The doors creaked open and Blair looked out. 

'It's another gray corridor, Master, though a bit shinier than the last one.'

The Master looked around her.

'Yes, it would appear so. Then again; a dull place is the perfect place for someone creating a temporal disturbance to hide.'

'You think someone's doing it on purpose, then?' Blair frowned.

'Perhaps.'

They stepped out and looked around.

'I can hear voices over there,' Blair said. The Master nodded.

'It appears to be a space station. We've landed in the docking bay, appropriately enough.'

Blair walked around the bay, looking closely at the walls for any clues. She didn't think there'd be any, but you never knew, and besides, it was something to do while the Master scanned the room.

The Master switched the TCE off.

‘There is nothing in here; it seems to be further ahead.’

‘Okay.’ Blair took his hand, and they walked on.

They soon came into a room full of colourful booths and all kinds of aliens bustling about. Blair squinted and blinked, then as she looked around, she realised it was a market.

‘ _ Woah…. _ ’ she breathed.

They stood in silence for a short while, watching everything happen, then they moved on.

‘If we’re not being chased off, can we take a closer look before we leave?’ Blair asked. The Master nodded.

‘That sounds like a splendid idea. Perhaps we will be able to purchase more tea there; our cabinet is running low.’

‘Ooh,  _ yes! _ ’

They continued in silence for a while, down several empty halls, before the Master stopped and started scanning again. He frowned.

‘I cannot comprehend why the disturbance is eluding us,’ he said.

‘Maybe it’s alive and knows we’re chasing it, so it’s running away?’

‘Perhaps….’ He switched the TCE off again.

Then abruptly, there was a scream.

The TCE's scanning sound stopped and Blair whirled around. They looked at each other, then at the corridor, as something barreled down it and into the docking bay. It stopped, wide-eyed and trembling when it saw the two of them.

'You have to help me!' it cried. 'They're going to kill me again - '

'Who?' The Master took a step towards it. 'Who is going to kill you, and what do you mean "again"?'

The alien teetered, and Blair jumped forward to steady it. 'I don't know their name....' it wailed, 'but they're doing something in my head....'

Blair slowly let it go, and it stood on its own. 'They're taking it all - over and over and over - I don't know how....' it sunk to its knees and put its head in its hands, covering all four eyes.

The Master bent down and touched the side of its purple head, eyes closed in concentration. When he opened them again, he looked grave. He straightened.

'How long have "they" been doing this to you?' he asked. 'I need you to stay conscious for that one question.'

'A week....' the alien whispered. 'Over and over and ov -  _ AAGGHH!!! _ '

It collapsed.

'Blair, look away,' the Master said.

'What's gonna happen to him?!' Blair's heart was thudding.

'I am....going to have to do something you will not like. You should probably go back to the other hall.'

Blair looked at the Master, who was looking at the alien.

'No, you can't!' she shouted. 'Master you  _ can't _ do that! After all we talked about! Look at him! You have to stop whatever's happening to him!'

'Precisely. And I am afraid this is the only way, Blair.'

His voice sounded strangely unsteady. Blair stared at him, and he briefly looked at her, then back at the alien. Her heart dropped. She crouched down and stroked the little purple head. Then she stood up and walked back the way they had come.

*****

The Master knelt down next to the creature and touched its temples again, focusing. He had to make certain that he wasn't missing another way to stop this. As he sifted through the creature's mind, however, he could only find that unnatural, temporally-unaligned memory of dying, over and over and over again. 

'Do you know what did this to you?' he asked.

'No....' the alien whimpered. 'Please make it stop....'

'I shall. I am putting you into a mesmeric state; try to not resist.' The Master felt the alien's mind gradually quiet. 'Good. You are not aware of any sensations, and you are falling into a deep sleep, which you do not need to wake from.'

The alien sighed, and the Master gently lowered it to the floor and reached into his inner coat pocket. He hesitated, then withdrew the TCE and switched it on.

*****

Blair stared at the wall across from her as the Master came up. He leaned against the wall next to her.  

'I made certain he did not feel the effects of the TCE,' the Master said. Blair sighed.

'Why wasn't there any other way?' she asked, her voice quiet.

'The creature had been dying and coming back to life constantly for a week. And would never have stopped doing so if I had not stepped in.'

'What would make that happen?' Blair looked at him. Anyone else might not have thought so, but to her, he looked almost upset.

'The temporal disturbance we came to investigate,' he said, simply.

'I guess we need to sort that out then.'

The Master nodded. 'He did not suffer, and is free from the suffering he was being put through.' Blair sighed again.

'I have a hard time accepting it though.'

'I cannot pretend I understand, but I can sympathise, dear Blair. I am sorry that had to happen.'

They stood in silence for a while, and then the Master straightened.

'We must investigate before it affects anyone else,' he said.

*****

Blair was gripping the Master's hand rather tightly as they walked further on, into a room where loud noise was coming from. The Master gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He would not admit it, but he was rather frightened as well. He almost regretted not telling Blair to stay in the TARDIS; keeping her safe from whatever was on the loose, but he knew what her reaction to that notion would be, so he allowed her to come along.

_ But if she shows the slightest sign of feeling any effects from the temporal disturbance, she will go back to the TARDIS, even if I have to sedate her to stay inside again. _

The hall opened into a room full of aliens dancing. One alien saw them and broke away from the crowd.

'Excuse me,' he said as he approached, 'but who are you?'

'We are investigators,' the Master said. 'There is a problem aboard your station, and I am a Time Lord; fully capable of putting an end to your problem.'

One of the alien's eyes widened. 'Oh! Welcome, Time Lord. I am Zesha. Who are you and your companion?'

'I'm Blair,' she said.

'And I am.... _ Detective Moriarty _ .'

He felt Blair's baffled telepathic nudging in his mind, but ignored it for now.

'Welcome!' the alien said. 'Please - make yourselves at home; you have free access to roam around and investigate.'

'Thank you,' the Master said.  _ I have that  _ anyhow, _ you cretin _ , he thought. He turned abruptly and they walked on. It took a span for him to realise Blair appeared to be restraining laughter.

'What is it, Blair?' he asked.

'You do realise Moriarty was the  _ arch-nemesis _ of the famous detective, right?'

The Master frowned. If that the case, he hoped he wasn't throwing suspicion on themselves.

*****

They had been exploring the station for quite a while, being certain to stay together; barely letting go of each other's hands.

_ He’s scared that what happened to the purple alien’s gonna hurt me _ , Blair thought. Well. If staying close to him reassured him she was safe, that's what she was going to do.

The station seemed emptier than it should have been, somehow, but Blair didn’t find it too eerie; she could still hear the party and the market in the distance, so it wasn’t a  _ complete _ ghost town, which was reassuring.

They turned a corner, and the hall opened into an empty room with a closet.

And something inside started banging on the door.

Blair jumped, and the Master instinctively reached for the TCE. They waited in silence as the door rattled, then burst open -

....revealing Zesha.

Blair stared.

'What were you doing in the  _ closet?! _ ' she shouted.

'I was....trying to find something....something related to your investigation....pay me no heed....'

'Perhaps we  _ could _ pay you  _ less _ heed if you would kindly refrain from lurking in closets as if you were some.... _ Celestial Intervention Agent. _ '

'I'm....sorry....I don't know what that is....' Zesha looked worried, and scurried away, mumbling to himself. Blair shook her head.

'Dunno what  _ his _ problem is.'

'Hm.' The Master tucked away the TCE. 'I am starting to form some theories, but they can wait for now.'

‘Yeah?’

‘Yes. Be on your guard. And if we see that…. _ creature _ again, do not tell him any vital information.’ Blair nodded.

They continued on into another hall, and the Master started to scan that one. There was nothing unusual there, so they continued on.

*****

Eventually, they came into a room that was almost like an exhibit in a museum. The scanner started whirring wildly, and the Master backed up a little; into the doorway. Blair looked up at him. His expression was strained.

'You don't know what to do, do you? Go in without me, and you leave me on my own; go in with me, and I could run into the thing that got to that alien.'

'Yes....' the Master said slowly. He switched the scanner on the TCE off, and scrutinised the area ahead. 'Whatever attacked that creature is likely in that room, but it could be anywhere.' They stared into the room ahead.

'Oh, it's long gone, Detective Moriarty,' came a voice from behind them.

They spun around, and there was Zesha, grinning.

'The Time-Eater got its fill from one of the passengers and left a half-hour ago. I guess that must be what you mean by the alien you encountered.'

Blair's free hand curled into a fist. She hoped she wasn’t hearing right. 'What do you  _ mean _ , "got its fill"?' she hissed.

'Oh....I led the passenger here so the Time-Eater could feed off its temporal energy. Not pleasant for the passenger, but a contract is a contract....'

'Contract? Are you some sort of black-market dealer in temporal energy?' The Master nearly spat out the words.

'Exactly! And guess what?  _ You're  _ the next two pieces of merchandise!'

Everything that happened next happened in a blur; Blair didn't understand  _ quite  _ how she ended up shoved behind a display case, and she also didn't understand  _ quite _ how the Master ended up standing in front of her with a long, ancient fencing foil, but she figured it must be some sort of Time-Lord-quick-reflexes nonsense, and decided not to think too hard about it. Then she noticed that one of the swords was missing from the rack of ancient weapons, and also that Zesha was reaching for another sword, smiling.

'You think you can defeat me, Detective Moriarty? Be my guest at  _ trying! _ '

'That is not my  _ true  _ name,' the Master said. 'I am  _ actually _ known as the  _ Master _ \-  _ universally! _ '

He lunged for Zesha, deftly avoiding his strokes and getting a good few in himself. He was going for them at a particularly odd angle, Blair thought, and wondered what his reasoning was.

_ Someone's gonna get killed _ ….

She shook her head.  _ He’s a good swordsperson. _

The Master struck a hard blow that sent Zesha reeling back towards a corner. Blair felt a shiver go up her spine.

_ And that’s half of why I’m worried _ , she thought.

With one completely bizarre thrust and a twist of his wrist, the Master knocked Zesha's sword, sending it flying out of his hand. Another stroke, and somehow Zesha tripped and fell to the floor. The Master immediately had the point of his sword just above his throat and his foot on his chest.

'Apparently I  _ could _ defeat you, Zesha,' he said.

Blair thought she was going to be sick. She turned away.

'How long have you been doing this....this  _ atrocious trade? _ ' the Master asked. Zesha stared, then actually laughed.

'Long enough to get  _ very _ rich, Detective. Or....what did you call yourself?  _ Master? _ '

'That  _ is  _ my name,' the Master said quietly, 'and it should frighten you.'

'Oh, I don't get frightened very easily.' Zesha laughed again. 'I guess you'll be saying next that I'm about to die? Well go on; get it over with.'

Blair heard Zesha gasp, and she turned. The sword was right up against his throat now, and the alien wasn't looking half as smug as before.

'Look at me, Zesha,' the Master said, and Zesha stared up at the Master, eyes wide. 'And remember that I am the  _ Master, and you will obey me. _ '

'I....I will obey you....' Zesha intoned.

'You do not know what a Time Eater is; you do not remember them at all; you have never seen one, do you understand?'

'I understand....'

' _ Excellent _ . Now - ' he clicked his fingers ' _ sleep _ .'

Zesha went limp, and the Master stared down at him.

'Blair, would you find something to bind him with?' he asked.

Blair let out a long breath and stood up. Her head was spinning.

'You didn't kill him....'

'No. I am concerned it will backfire eventually, but no; I did not kill him.'

Blair looked around. She saw a display of old Earth’s sailors’ knots in the back of the room and dashed over to them. The display was unlocked, and soon she had several ropes out. She handed them to the Master, who carefully backed off of the alien and then knelt down and, after untying the artefacts, started to secure Zesha's arms.

Blair was so relieved she didn't know what to say.

*****

The two security guards looked very startled when Blair and the Master came up to them, carrying the still unconscious Zesha.

‘Good afternoon, guards.’ The Master smiled disarmingly. ‘I presume you have security cells on this station?’

‘We….do….’ One of the guards squinted suspiciously at them.

‘Excellent! This alien here attempted to kidnap us to sell on the black market. I hope I am correct in assuming that is a crime here….?’

The second guard’s eye widened.

‘Great constellations - Zesha is selling passengers - ‘

‘He  _ was _ .’

‘He already killed someone for money,’ Blair said.

The four of them stared at each other. The Master frowned; this was not going as well as he had hoped.

‘I might add that I have wiped his memory in order to stop his heinous operation; I do not know how that will interfere with your justice system here, but I would highly recommend you lock him away and monitor him for showing any signs of knowing what a “Time Eater” is.’

The first guard stared at him for a moment; the Master hoped that  _ fully  _ influencing him would not be necessary; it was not the best move to make in this situation, and he would rather not resort to it.

_ I am not certain I could hypnotise them both at once, and the other would be sure to notice _ , he thought.

But then the guard nodded tightly, and took the alien from them.

‘ _ Thank you _ ,’ Blair said. The one-eyed guard nodded.

‘We will make certain he harms no one.’

The Master nodded. ‘See that you do. Good day.’

‘You too, sir,’ the first guard said. The Master took Blair’s hand, and they walked back towards the market.

*****

'That, as they say, is that,' the Master observed.

'What'll happen to him?' Blair asked.

'I do not know. The justice system in this sector of the Universe is foreign to me; I have no knowledge of how it works.'

'At least he's stopped, though.' She paused. A group of what appeared to be colour-shifting, alien schoolchildren ran past, giggling.

Blair smiled faintly, then frowned. She didn't know quite how to describe what was bothering her in the back of her mind. Then she had an idea.

'Master - I need to tell you something telepathically.'

'Oh?'

'Yeah.' She closed her eyes. ' _ Contact _ .'

' _ Contact _ ,' she heard the Master say, and then she focused on that one thought and projected it out to him.

Then she felt the telepathic link fading, and she blinked. She looked up at the Master, who was frowning. 

'I don't know how to say it,' she said. 

The Master got out the TCE and started scanning the area. Then he switched it off.

'The temporal disturbances have vanished,' he said. 'There is nothing left for us to investigate.'

'I don't like it.' Blair looked out at the crowd. 'It could be any of them, or it could be somewhere out there, waiting for us or someone else.'

'Let us find our tea, and then we shall return to the safety of the TARDIS.’ the Master said. Blair nodded, and they moved into the crowd.


	2. Episode Two

The TARDIS landed, and Blair stood. 

'How big  _ is  _ this library exactly?' she asked.

'Bigger than any human mind can imagine.' The Master looked up. 'It is even bigger than the library on Kar-Charat, which I do not care to visit any time soon, anyhow.'

'Why not?'

'I have been reading up on it recently, and it appears it is due to have a Dalek invasion at any time. I would rather avoid it and be safe. It isn't as if I can regenerate, and  _ you _ most certainly cannot.'

Blair frowned, and almost opened her mouth to say that he  _ does _ regenerate in the future, but then thought better of it and only mumbled  _ Web of Time _ in her mind.

She came over and looked at the scanner. There were rows upon rows of bookshelves stretching as far as she could see, all full of books; no gaps at all.

' _ Great Scott.... _ ' she breathed. The Master chuckled.

'It is quite a sight to behold.'

' _ Wow.... _ ' Blair shook her head. 'So you think there will be something  _ here _ that'll tell us about these Time Eaters?'

'Most assuredly. This is the largest library in the known Universe; they will certainly have the information we require.'

Blair reached over to the door switch. 'You ready?' The Master smiled and nodded, and Blair opened the doors.

*****

The library had been impressive on the screen, but nothing could've prepared Blair for how it looked in real life. She stared up at it, gaping at all the books....all the things she could read....she didn't think she  _ could _ read all of this in her lifetime, actually.

'Er....how're we gonna not get lost....?' she said finally. The Master reached into a pocket and handed her a square device.

'Use this; it will show you a map of the library on the foldout screen, and it is linked to my TCE, so you will see precisely where I am. I will show you where the Earth classics section is, as I am sure that is where you would like to visit, is it not?' He smiled, and Blair laughed.

' _ Definitely. _ ' 

*****

Blair looked up at all the different subsections; the Earth classics section was divided into eras, then alphabetized by author. She browsed around for a while, looking for a few of her favourite authors, before finally settling on H. G. Wells.

_ Sometimes the best things are the books you've read a million times before.... _ she thought, stretching to reach  _ The Invisible Man _ . It looked ancient, and she wanted to hold it in her own two hands.

After several tries, she realised she just wasn't tall enough to reach it. She looked around for a ladder, or one of those footstools you sometimes saw in bookstores, but there was none.

'Hmph.' She glared at the shelf.

'Allow me,' came a voice from behind her. She jumped and spun around, and saw a short, smiling man who tipped his boater hat to her. Blair grinned.

He went up to the bookshelf, reached up with the handle of the umbrella he was carrying, and flipped the book off the shelf, catching it in midair. He handed it to her with a flourish and a bow.

' _ Thank _ you!' Blair clutched the book tightly.

'It's no trouble. When you're done, there's a low shelf over there they've left for anyone who's finished with what they're reading.'

'Thank you so much,' she said.

As I said....no trouble at all!'

The Man hesitated, frowning a little. 'You're not....Blair Kenneth, by any chance, are you?'

For the second time, Blair jumped, and she accidentally stumbled backwards. The stranger caught her.

'I'm sorry,' he said. 'I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that....I thought I recognised you,'

'Who are you?' Blair asked.

'I....I'm the Doctor,' he said.

Blair's eyes went wide.

‘I….I want to say I'm very sorry about how things went the last time you saw me; I was arrogant. I couldn't see past my own nose back then. Come to think of it, it  _ was  _ a rather big nose. Perhaps that's why.'

'I....you're the Time Lord with the long scarf who teleported into the TARDIS? The one the Master used to be friends with?'

The Doctor nodded. Blair smirked a little.

'I guess you haven't stopped liking knitwear,' she said. The Doctor laughed and stood up a little taller.

'And neither have you,' he replied. Blair grinned.

'It's okay, Doctor,' she said. 'However arrogant you might have been, you  _ were _ worried about me. But things have happened since then, and I can guarantee you one-hundred-percent that the Master will  _ never, ever  _ hurt me. So you can stop worrying.'

The Doctor smiled and sat down in a nearby chair. 'I'm glad.'

Blair turned and looked around at the shelves, then sat down in a chair across from him. 'Doctor....I'm gonna take a wild shot in the dark, but I'm guessing you like books. What ones here would  _ you _ reccomend?' The Doctor smiled.

'Ah, well you might be in for a long story there....'

*****

The Master put back the book he'd been reading on Chronovores, and picked up the one next to it; an essay titled  _ Advanced Chronoextraction and Its Links to Genetic Renewal _ . He opened it and began to read.

*****

'....and then we just sort of chucked the cans at the rock monsters and they ran away thinking it was Nitro-9!' Ace said. Blair sighed happily.

'I can't believe you can do all that self-taught chemistry,' she said. 'I wish I knew more. I got kicked out of class before I could get very far.'

The Doctor and Ace shared a knowing look. 'Why'd you get kicked out, Blair?' she asked, grinning. 'Betcha I can guess....'

Blair grinned as well. 'If your guess has to do with combustibles, then  _ yeah _ , you'd be right.'

Ace laughed. 'Thought so.'

The Doctor stood up. 'Ace, I need to go check on something. I'll be right back.'

'Okay, Professor.' They watched him go, then Ace turned to Blair conspiratorially.

'Were you saying that he looked different when you first met him?' she said. Blair nodded, grinning.

'He had crazy brown hair’ - she waved her hands above her head for emphasis - ‘and a scarf about a mile long!'

Ace grinned. ' _ Wicked! _ '

*****

The Master stared at one paragraph in particular, trying to decide whether it was unscientific nonsense, or if it possibly had some grain of truth in it. With a frown, he read the passage one more time, then turned the page.

What he read next confirmed it was anything but nonsense.

'It cannot be....' he murmured. He flipped back to the previous page in wonder and reread the paragraph three times, then reread the next page even more, then closed his eyes.

'If that is so, then it means that perhaps I have a chance of surviving after all....'

*****

The Doctor walked into his TARDIS and immediately went over to the scanner and started searching through the Databanks.

'I can’t just let it happen....' he muttered. 'I can't just sit back and do nothing if there is  _ some _ way....'

He scrolled through several dozen pages, rereading a good number of passages, before finally sighing and shutting down the Databanks.

He left his umbrella leaning on the console and began to pace - slowly, but not deliberately - for a long time, before stopping and looking up at the time rotors.

'Do you think I should do it, old girl?' he said. 'Dare I?'

The TARDIS hummed in response. Sadly, the Doctor watched the glow of the rotors for a while, before making up his mind. He retrieved his umbrella and headed for the door.

*****

The Master closed the book and put it back on the shelf. He was just turning around to walk back to the TARDIS when a glimpse of something royal blue caught the corner of his eye. He turned around and stared.

There was a police box in the corner.

Gritting his teeth, the Master turned and marched back in the direction of the TARDIS.

_ If you have laid a hand on Blair, I will leave you within an inch of your lives.... _

He needed to send a message to Blair's tracking device to warn her.

*****

Blair was laughing over one of Ace’s anecdotes when she felt her pocket buzz. She jumped again.

'Oh _ no! _ I nearly forgot about the Master!' She pulled the tracking device out of her pocket and unfolded the screen.

'What's it say, Blair?'

'Apparently there's danger here, and I gotta go back to the TARDIS.' She folded the device shut and smiled wistfully at Ace. 'Sorry.'

'It's all right. Want me to walk you back to make sure you're safe?'

'How about we both walk Blair back?' said the Doctor, coming up behind them. Blair turned and nodded.

'Thanks, Doctor. That'd be fab. Just....'

'....I probably shouldn't make your friend aware of my and Ace's presence?' he finished. 'Don't worry. I shan't.'

'Okay.'

Ace stood and looked worriedly at the Doctor. She hesitated, then said in a low voice, 'Are you sure she's safe with him, Professor? I mean....we all know what he's like....'

'Now, Ace.' The Doctor smiled. 'Blair and I have already discussed this, and it is  _ perfectly _ fine.'

'Okay....' Ace didn't look certain.

'Ace, really, you don't have to worry. Believe me when I say that I've been as close as it gets to death, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's  _ never _ gonna do  _ anything _ to hurt me.'

Ace frowned for a moment, then shook her head and grinned.

'All right, mate, I guess you know best.'

'Shall we go, then?' the Doctor said. Blair nodded, and started leading the way back to the TARDIS.

*****

They all stood a few metres away from the tall grandfather clock. Ace was actually quite curious about what it looked like inside - was it different from the Professor's? How different? Was it welcoming, or cold and unfriendly?  _ Probably cold and unfriendly _ , she thought, then remembered that Blair considered it home. Maybe it wasn't, then.

'Bye, Ace,' Blair said. 'You're amazing.' Ace grinned.

'Thanks, Blair. You look after yourself, okay?'

Blair nodded.

'Oh - on that subject, Blair....' the Doctor trailed off, and Ace frowned. He had been acting funny since she had found him talking to Blair, and she'd wondered if there was something he wasn't telling her.

'Blair....' he started again, 'I....I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I simply couldn't  _ stand _ it if I didn't, so....I want you to be  _ very _ careful around spaceships.'

Blair's eyes were wide. 'Don't break the Web of Time for  _ me _ , Doctor. I know firsthand what happens when people try to do that.'

The Doctor sighed. 'I know....and I've thought long and hard about this, but Blair, you need to know - '

Blair held up a hand, cutting him off. 'No. Don't. Doctor, I know you have my best intentions at hearts, but please. Don't do it. It'll come to no good.'

The Doctor sighed again. 'Very well.' He smiled at her, and Ace knew it was his 'I'm-trying-to-hide-I'm-sad' smile. 'It was lovely to run into you again, Blair.'

'Same here,' she said, grinning. She looked at Ace. ‘It was fab meeting you, too.’

Ace laughed, and Blair waved and ran off. 

After the TARDIS door shut, Ace came over to the Doctor.

'What was that all about?' She knew that whenever the Doctor tried to meddle with the consequences of time, it was only for a serious reason, and she didn’t want to think too hard about that in the context of Blair.

'I don't want to talk about it,' the Doctor said. He said it quite tersely, and Ace knew by his tone that he  _ really  _ didn't. After a moment's silence, she said,

'He must be really different from the bloke with the beard.'

'He is, Ace. And it's the reason he becomes "the bloke with the beard" that has me worried. Come along.  We should be getting back to our own TARDIS.'

They walked away in silence.

*****

As soon as Blair walked in, the Master dashed over to her.

'Blair - you did not see the Doctor, did you? He hasn't hurt you, has he? Are you all right?'

Blair bit her lip; he was genuinely concerned, and she didn't want to laugh.

'I....er....'

She gave up.

'I  _ did _ ,' she snorted, 'but not the one we saw last time. He was very nice, and he apologised for what he'd said when he teleported in here. He said he was arrogant, and couldn't see past his own nose.'

The Master's eyebrows shot up.

'He said  _ what? _ '

'That he was sorry for being arrogant.'

The Master stared at her in silence for a minute, then shook his head and strode to the console.

'I think the Universe has turned inside-out, Blair. If you happen to see a pigrat flying, do let me know.' He shook his head again and pulled the demat lever.


	3. Episode Three

The TARDIS hummed contentedly as it soared through the VORTEX. Blair watched the time rotors rise and fall from the gallery and smiled. Everything looked so different from here; she'd have to come up here more often. It was odd seeing the Master fussing with the console from up above; odd and funny. 

The Master had just reached for a lever, when the TARDIS lurched. Blair yelped and sprawled out of her seat, and the Master pulled a few extra levers and switches before stumbling up the stairs to her.

'Blair, it isn't safe up here; let me help you down,' he said. Blair's eyes were wide.

'What's going on? It's never good when the TARDIS hits bumps in the Vortex....' She held onto the Master and the handrail as they slowly made their way down the stairs.

'It's another temporal disturbance; like the one near that space station, only bigger.'

'Do we  _ ever  _ get any rest from anomalies?!' The Master chuckled and helped her step down to the Console Room floor.

'Not often, it seems.'

They went over to the console, and Blair stared at the scanner; the Vortex was swirling and angry, and she didn't like the look of it. Somewhere, in the depths of the TARDIS, the cloister bell began to toll. Blair furrowed her brow.

'I know.' The Master’s voice was quiet and, in spite of the situation, calm. 'If the cloister bell is ringing, it must not be good.' He programmed a flight and landing sequence and stood back a little.

'I am attempting to make an emergency landing,' he said. 'We should be leaving the Vortex shortly.'

The TARDIS lurched again, throwing them both to the floor, then began to shake as the time rotors wheezed.

'No -  _ no! _ ' The Master tried to get up, but then the doors flew open, and the TARDIS tilted, and they were both falling towards them....

Blair screamed as she tumbled out the doors and into infinite blackness....

*****

_ She feels the air rushing past her, but she hears no sound of wind. She screams, and can hear her voice, and see the TARDIS quickly slipping away from view, and she can't see where the Master is....where is he.... _

' _ AAGH!!! _ ' She felt herself caught by something that seemed to enfold her.

' _ Shh.... _ try not to panic, Blair.'

'Master?! Wha....what's happening?! What's going on?!'

'We have fallen into a different dimension; the TARDIS did not land correctly, and somehow we have fallen out of it.'

'How're we gonna get back....?'

'I am not certain, but we will try our best.'

They stopped falling, landing surprisingly softly. Blair looked around. She blinked.

Then she nearly stopped breathing.

'M....M....Master....'

'Yes, Blair?'

'I....I can't see.... Oh my goodness I can't see what's happened I - '

'Blair, be calm.'

'I can't - I - ' she broke off, her lungs feeling like they'd just been punched. She clung even tighter to her friend, and he held her a little tighter with all his arms.

_ Wait - wha -  _ Blair's heart raced even faster.  _ Why are there so many arms -  _

*****

The Master felt Blair's heart speed up; he had wondered if she would notice.

'Master....you have too many arms....what's going on....'

The Master hesitated. 'They are not…. _ arms _ , per se, they....never mind.' He mustn't frighten her; she  _ was _ a human, after all; she probably would have no way of comprehending what he had shifted into as they fell into this dimension.

'It's o….okay, Master, just  _ tell _ me.' Blair's voice was wavering. 'Y….you're thinking louder in this dimension, and I kn….know you don't want to scare me, but I don't think I could get any more scared than I am - I....' She trailed off and started taking deep breaths.

The Master thought for a span.

'I am like a shadow,' he said finally. 'One that shifts into what is needed at whatever moment, and I have….tendrils of shadow instead of arms; a bit like Le and her fronds.' Blair's breathing was a bit steadier now, and she nodded. 'I cannot see absolutely clearly; not quite as one would typically describe seeing, but I can sense our surroundings almost intuitively. I never rely strictly on sight anyhow, so it does not make that much of a difference.'

'You don't....?' Blair's voice was still shaky.

'No, not really. Wait a few years developing your telepathy, Blair, and you will understand.'

Blair nodded again, then gasped and froze.

'What is it, my dear?' the Master said, as calmly as he could. He had no idea how they were going to find the TARDIS, and that thought terrified him no end.

'I....I just blinked and I....something's not right with my eyes....'

'Let me see.' Blair lifted her head, and the Master started a little.

_ How is that possible for a human.... _ He closed his eyes and focused.

Blair was right; thoughts were much louder here. He could sense the swirling chaos coursing through her mind and started to understand what was happening.

'Blair, I need you to stay very calm,' he said.

'I....okay.' He looked at her.

'Your eyes do not feel "right" because there are more of them there than you are used to.' Blair whimpered. 'It is all right, Blair. I know this is frightening, but you are going to be fine. I will make certain of that.'

'Okay....' Blair was shaking, and the Master wished he could comfort her more. 'You....you'd think with all these eyes I'd be able to see something....'

'You cannot see because your mind cannot process all the information pouring into it.' Blair nodded. 'You cannot see anything at all?'

Blair shifted and looked around, then back up at the Master. 'I can see your eyes, and faint glows everywhere else, but that's about it.'

'I shall keep that in mind.' The Master reached for his TCE, which was thankfully still in his pocket, and scanned the area.

'Does it tell you anything?' Blair asked.

'Yes....we are in some sort of cavern. There is an opening in that direction.' He gestured towards the space that had been behind them as they landed.

'I can't see it....remember?' He frowned.

'Yes. Hm. I wonder if - '

He was cut off by the sound of a screaming animal cry.

*****

Blair yelped and huddled up closer to the Master. 'Wh....what is that?!'

'I am not certain, but I assume it is some kind of creature that lives here. Come; let us see about finding the TARDIS. I think....' He let go of Blair, and she heard a fluttering sound, followed by a soft thump. 'Yes. I thought so.'

'What?'

'I am able to fly in this dimension. Perhaps you should try to see if there are any abnormal abilities you have?'

Blair couldn't believe her ears. 'Wait, what - you can  _ fly?! _ '

She could hear a smile in his voice, and it diminished her terror a little. 'I  _ can! _ And how about you?'

Blair almost laughed, and tried jumping into the air a little; willing herself to fly.  _ Perhaps this is like lucid dreaming, _ she thought. It didn't work, though; she only came back down to the ground with a quick thud.

'Try normal movement,' the Master suggested. 'Perhaps your normal, human capabilities are changed.'

Blair thought for a moment, then tried walking. It was easier and smoother than normal, and she tried going a little faster, then faster still, until she was pelting down the cavern faster than she'd ever run before; it was exhilarating and freeing, and she felt disappointed when she knew she had to slow down and stop.

'Master, where are you - can you call out so I can find you?'

'I am up above,' he said, and she jumped and stifled a scream.

'I apologise; I did not think that would startle you.'

She grinned. 'Well when your best friend turns into some sort of….I don’t know…. _ eldritch entity _ , you're bound to get startled sooner or later. You're okay.'

She heard him come down to land beside her and felt his....not exactly  _ hand _ ....take hers. He looked at her - she could see that at least - and nodded back in the direction from where they had come.

'Shall we try to find the TARDIS, my dear?' Blair nodded, and they started off, back in the direction they had come.

They hadn't gotten more than four metres, however, when there was a low growling sound. Blair gasped and pulled up short.

'Th....that wasn't your....s....stomach, was it....?'

'No....' the Master said slowly.

Then that howling scream cut through the silence again, and this time, Blair saw eight eyes staring out from the darkness at her.

'Mnhhh.....'

' _ Do not make a sound _ ,' the Master whispered. The creature blinked, and then growled again, and then its eyes narrowed.

Without warning, Blair was jerked upwards and then felt herself rushing through the air. The eyes faded away into the black, and she soon settled back down on the ground. She heard the Master get out his TCE and scan again, and she tried to breathe normally, but wasn't entirely certain she  _ could  _ right now.

'I....I don't really say this often....but maybe you should use that thing if that wild beast comes back....'

'It would not work in this dimension; the laws of physics are different here, and it is very likely that it would have no effect on whatever it is hunting us.'

Blair shuddered. 'What if it comes back?'

'Then we shall have to escape again.'

Blair tried breathing more slowly again, and finally got to a point where her heart wasn't beating out of her ribcage.

'Why did the TARDIS land in this dimension anyway?' she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. 'She doesn't usually do stuff like that.'

'I am not certain, entirely, although I suspect it is related to the so-called "Time Eater"; some of the research I did at the library had rather worrying results. And some rather.... _ interesting _ results as well.' All of Blair’s eyes widened.

'The Time Eater?! But why would it latch on to  _ us?! _ '

'I do not think this is the best time to discuss it, Blair; I think it best that we focus on survival at the present.'

'All right.' Blair frowned; she  _ really _ didn't like the sound of something _ else _ messing about with time; she'd had quite enough of that lately.

'Do not fret, Blair; it will all work out in the end.' He switched the TCE off.

'Thankfully she is back the way we came, and then upwards a short distance.'

Blair nodded, then froze.

'What is it, Blair?' the Master said, very quietly.

'Can you hear that....' she whispered back.

'I....' He paused. 'I can....'

Blair reached out her hand. 'Take my hand.' She felt him take it, and then took off.

She had never run this fast her entire life, not even when she had tested out her new skills a moment ago, but she could hear the creatures running behind them, and was determined they wouldn't lay a hand on her or the Master. Or paw, or tentacle, or  _ whatever _ they had, for that matter; she didn't exactly want to consider it too closely right now.

'Blair - stop!' the Master called, and she forced herself to slow down, then come to a stop. She felt herself lifted into the air (or whatever it was), and then saw the eyes of the creatures glowing below; heard them howling and snapping their teeth.

'The TARDIS is up here somewhere....' the Master said. Blair felt a shudder run through her and yelped a little.

'That will be you readjusting to your proper dimension - close your eyes, Blair; this is not going to be pleasant by any means.'

'Okay....' Blair shut all her eyes and braced herself.

As they hurtled through the open TARDIS doors, Blair was hit with a hideous feeling she couldn't describe in common words even if she'd been able to understand it. She gasped, and almost screamed, and then everything went silent.

*****

In the far distance, Blair could hear a familiar, gentle humming. She tried to move, but everything felt too heavy and stiff to be able to. The humming sounded closer now, and she realised it was the TARDIS. 

_ I guess we made it back, then _ , she thought. She lay there for a bit longer, then slowly tried to open her eyes.

She was back in the TARDIS, and the time rotors were rising and falling in their comforting way. With effort she turned her head, and saw the Master sitting next to her, staring at the floor.

'Are you okay?' she asked.

'I am, perhaps, a bit shaken, however I am rather more used to this kind of thing than a human would be. Are  _ you _ well?'

'I can't move.'

'Give yourself a moment. You need to readjust to heavier gravity.'

'Okay.'

'We are back in the Vortex now. After you get some rest, we shall talk about the "Time Eaters," and why they seem to be following us.’

'Okay.'

Blair lay there longer, thinking. She heard the Master get up and saw him walk over to the console and check a few readings. Gradually she felt the weight lifting from her limbs, and after a bit longer, she stood and stretched.

'I'm gonna go to bed now,' she said. She walked over to him. 'Thank you so much for getting us out of there.'

The Master nodded. 'You did rather a good job of that as well, Blair.'

Blair smiled, and walked away; down to corridor, towards her room.


	4. Episode Four

Blair stretched and lay back to stare up at the ceiling, thinking about what had happened before she went to bed. It had been both terrifying and exhilarating, and she was still sorting through all the pieces of how she felt about it. 

After a while, she got up and put on her dungarees. She had a feeling that whatever the day held, it was gonna involve a lot of action.

*****

After Blair and the Master had had tea together, they got up and went over to the console. The Master programmed a flight sequence and pulled the demat lever.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, then smiled ruefully at Blair.

‘I do not wish to tell you this, but you need to know,’ he said.

Blair raised her eyebrows and leaned against the console.

‘What is it?’

The Master frowned. ‘It is about the Time Eaters.’

Blair felt something horrid in the pit of her stomach.

'What these….”Time Eaters” are,' the Master continued, 'are creatures of great temporal power. Somehow they are able to manipulate their prey's temporal features, and then absorb all their temporal energy as food.' He stopped, and looked away from Blair. He wanted to go on, but did not wish to frighten her.

'It's okay; tell me,' she said. The Master sighed.

'The process causes its victims to never be able to stop dying; not without....outside intervention.'

He could feel her horror strongly.

'By...."outside intervention"....you don't mean....'

'I do.' He looked down at the console. 'The only way to stop their continuous death is to kill them permanently, in a different way, as happened with the alien on the space station.'

Blair stared at him.

‘How….how can we  _ fight _ something like that?’ she whispered. The time rotors settled.

‘I….do not know. But that is why I am going to have to use extreme caution in the next part of this quest, and why you must stay in the TARDIS.’

Blair’s jaw dropped.

There was a split-second of silence that seemed to last an eternity, and then Blair sprung forward.

‘ _ No _ , Master, I’m  _ not _ letting you go out there alone!’

‘Blair,’ he said, extremely quietly, ‘you are going to have to.’

‘But - ‘

He cut her off with a hand on her head.

‘Blair, this must be stopped, and while  _ I _ have the cunning to survive this, you - and I mean this in the kindest way possible - do not. I am very sorry; I know you will be worried sick about me, but I must do this alone.’

Blair made a sort of choked sound and looked at the ground. 

' _ Please _ tell me you have some way of defending yourself from getting your time sucked out of you!' Blair said. Her tone was pleading. ' _ Please _ , Master,  _ don't _ go out there unprepared!'

'I shall be safe,' he said, 'do not fret, my dear. Use the scanner to watch my movements….there; and I shall be back very soon.' Blair frowned, and the Master looked her in the eye, seriously.

'I do not like this either, Blair, but I must do it. I cannot let this remain unchecked.'

_ And I must find out about the symbiotic nuclei _ , he thought to himself.

There was a long silence.

'O.... _ kay _ ,' Blair eventually said. ' _ Please _ be careful, Master.'

'I shall.'

He retrieved his cape, and walked out the door.

*****

Blair stood and watched the monitor, her stomach clenching. She knew it wouldn't help at all, but she didn’t know what else to do, and she needed to know he was okay. There was a small dust storm blowing along the planet's surface, and it almost obscured the Master from view. Somehow the planet almost seemed familiar, actually, but she couldn’t figure out why.

The dust swirled thicker now, completely obscuring her view of him, then cleared.

And when it cleared, he wasn’t there at all.

She blinked, hoping it was an odd effect the sight of the strange environment was having on her eyes. She looked back at the scanner, she squinted, trying to make out where he was; staring at the scanner for almost a minute before it fully hit her.

_ No....no not him please no.... _

She flew to the door and carefully looked out.

Through all the dust, the Master was nowhere to be seen.

Blair went cold and staggered a little. Not caring about his warnings, she ran out of the TARDIS in the direction he'd gone.

' _ MASTER! _ ’

She screamed it several times.

‘ _ MASTER, PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE OUT THERE! _ '

Nothing. Only her aching throat and the quiet howl of the wind.

She stared for a moment longer, then crumpled to the ground and sobbed.

She didn't understand how he could've been taken by surprise so easily; he was  _ the Master _ \- he didn't simply get kidnapped by alien time-eaters like that!

_ Please don't be in pain please no.... _ She didn't know if she could bear the thought of her friend, alone and infinitely dying. And what was she supposed to do now that he was gone? She had no family or friends; she didn't think she could fly the TARDIS on her own; she didn't know  _ what  _ to do, except lay there and sob because her best friend had just been taken away to die horribly again and again.

*****

Blair didn't care or know how long she'd laid there. She now wondered if the Time Lords would find her and finish her off for being an anomaly.

She jumped a little when she felt a hand on her shoulder; not having heard anyone walk up.

_ It's probably the Celestial Intervention Agency come to get rid of me, _ she thought.

'Can you leave me alone for a while so I can just cry a bit longer?' she mumbled. 'Then you can wipe me out of time if you have to; I don't care at this point.'

Someone tutted above her. 'Now why would I do that?' a familiar voice said. 'Why should I go around wiping my friends from existence?'

Blair froze.

Slowly, she pushed herself up and stared up at the new arrival sitting beside her. The round spectacles were unfamiliar, as was the dark jacket and burgundy waistcoat, but the face and the smile on it were unmistakable.

'Master....? What happened to you....?'

'Ah - I am not quite who you think I am,' he said. 'I'm from his far future, you see.'

'You are....?' It didn’t make sense; he looked almost exactly the same.

The Master nodded. 'This is a bit like when the bald version of me came to rescue you and past-me that time on the freighter.'

'But....did that happen, if....and....er....no offense, but....how do  _ you  _ happen if....if you....'

Blair choked on the words and started sobbing again. The Master put an arm around her and let her cry. After a while, he spoke.

'I don't die on this planet, Blair, never fear. I haven't been hurt by the.... _ Time Eaters _ \- and I will make certain that I get past-me back to you safely. And on that note' - Blair looked up when she felt him shift - 'I need to make certain  _ you  _ are safe as well.' He drew a pendant out of his pocket, one that Blair only just noticed he was wearing as well. He put it around her neck, and Blair could hear it humming softly. She lifted it to her face and studied it.

'It projects a temporal stasis field of sorts; one that will protect you from the techniques and technology of the.... _ foe _ we are up against.'

'Since you're from the future, can you tell me their name?' Blair asked. 'Or will that break time?'

The Master was silent for a moment, then said, 'I'm afraid you and past-me will have to discover that on your own. I am sorry.'

'Okay.' She studied the pendant more, then looked back at him. 'What….why….what’re we gonna do?' The Master rose.  

'We shall go into the aliens' headquarters and rescue the past version of myself that is trapped there, then both of you can decide what to do from there. It isn't my place to interfere.'

Blair stood up and looked over to the new TARDIS.

'We can't go in that one, I'm afraid,' the Master said. Blair turned.

'Why not?' The Master gave a rueful smile.

'There's something in the TARDIS that would possibly mess up your timeline if you saw it,' he said. 'We  _ can _ , however, use  _ your _ TARDIS.' He stood, and taking her hand, started towards the TARDIS Blair had run out of.

*****

'So what's happened to past-you, then?' Blair asked. The Master grimaced, not looking up from the console.

'I had stepped on a teleport mine,' he said. 'Rather embarrassing. It teleported me to a containment cell in the time eaters' headquarters. Anyhow, we shall fly to where the cell is and rescue him, and then after rescuing him I shall leave in  _ my _ TARDIS.'

He looked at Blair, wondering if he really should tell her, after all. Then he shook his head and looked back at what he was doing.

*****

Blair thought the corridor they landed in was grayer and more gloomy than any she'd been in yet. She was scared, and didn't know quite what to make of the future version of the Master. Something about him wasn't quite the same; how could he be the future of her incarnation if he was so different? She wondered if he was from another universe and was just a bit confused, but she thought it might be rude to bring that up.

The Master scanned the area with a rather fancy-looking TCE; it had all kinds of extra settings on it, and Blair's heart sank at the sight of it. She sincerely hoped it wasn't more deadly than before. Then another thought struck her, and she shuddered.

_ What if he's horrible in the other universe? What if this is him from a universe where he's evil, and this is all a ruse? _

Then she pulled up short. The Master looked at her questioningly.

'Blair, is something the matter?'

She tried to control the jumbled fears in her mind, but could not. She took a deep breath.

'Yeah,’ she said. ‘I'm usually anxious, but not  _ this _ anxious, and  _ especially  _ not since you've been helping me with it.' She looked at him; she could feel what was in there now. 'Something's in my head, I think, and it's trying to make me scared of you.'

The Master immediately touched a hand to her forehead, and Blair felt everything clear. And as soon as she got the faintest glimpse of his mind, she knew it was him; it wasn't someone evil from another universe. She shuddered, wondering why exactly something was messing with her mind.

They walked on in silence for a while, until they came to a door. The Master scanned it, and Blair frowned once again.

'Why has the TCE changed  _ that much _ ? I mean, it's not like a lot of time has passed.' The Master looked sad.

'Oh, it has,' he said. 'A very long time.' He switched off the TCE and opened the door, starting to walk in.

*****

The Master didn't have time to shout for Blair not to follow him; before he could do anything, a giant, tripodal alien sprung forward and seized Blair; hurtling both itself and her up against the far wall.

Blair screamed, and the alien stared at the Master with unblinking eyes.

' _ If you do not recall your TARDIS to this spot, I will send this human back in time to her school basement _ ,' it said. The Master felt a prodding at his mind, and he angrily slammed down his mental defenses. The creature winced, then growled.

'Master - help - ' Blair gasped. The Master took one step forward and stopped; Blair faded ever so slightly out of view and she screamed; her voice distorted.

'No - stop - I can't go back there - I'll  _ die!!! _ '

'Let her go,' the Master growled.

' _ Only if you use your device to recall your TARDIS _ .'

'I will  _ not;  _ you will release her  _ now _ , you vile creature!'

Blair faded a little more out of view, still screaming. The Master's mind raced; he wasn't prepared for this....

'Wait.'

Blair faded back into view, gasping. The Master lifted his weapon.

' _ Well? What are you waiting for, Time Lord? Recall your timeship. _ '

The Master shot the alien, point-blank.

*****

Blair heard the TCE firing even in her haze of terror, and she knew it didn't sound right; it sounded higher-pitched - more screeching than normal. The alien screamed behind her and let her go, and she tumbled to the floor.

Blair curled up into a ball and sobbed. She heard the Master's footsteps, and then felt an arm around her shoulders. She stayed curled into a ball for a long while, When she finally straightened out, slowly, she saw the alien and realised it wasn't shrunk.

'I only stunned it,' the Master said. 'Though who knows what harm it will cause while it is still alive.'

 _So it_ hasn't _gotten more deadly_ ; she thought, _it’s gotten_ less _deadly._

Then she saw what the alien looked like, and gasped.

'It's....it's an Alari....'

'It is.'

Everything seemed distant, and Blair tried to breathe to calm herself down. She hated how much she was panicking lately.

‘May I….?’ the Master asked, and she let out a long breath and nodded. The Master touched a hand to her forehead, and she felt herself gradually lulled into a state of deep calm.

‘There; that should be better,’ the Master said.

‘ _ Thank _ you.’ Blair couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this calm.

She heard the Master stood up. ‘I speak for both me and my past self when I say that you only need ask, and I will help you,’ he said. Blair nodded.

‘Thank you.’

She opened her eyes and looked around at the building they were in, seeing it with a new perspective.

'That thing on the space station was an Alari as well - that's gotta be what they were gonna do to me that one time when the library books were getting stolen - '

She closed her eyes and shook her head. Thankfully the hypnotic calm did not dissipate. She looked back up at the Master.

'We've gotta go save past-you before it's too late.'

'Are you fit to do that?' he asked. Blair nodded and slowly rose to her feet.

The Master started scanning with the TCE, trying to figure out what way to go.

'I am very sorry about what just happened,' he said. 'Stand far back on the next door in case there is another Alari in there.'

'Okay.'

After dragging the Alari back into the cell and locking the door, they continued down the corridor, and the Master slowly opened another door. He pulled back slightly, and Blair froze. Then he slowly stepped in, motioning Blair to stay out.

_ Please don't do anything dumb please please please....  _ Blair thought, but then the Master reemerged, and with a set of keys. He locked the door behind him.

'It was an Alari not quite adept at its mental skills yet, so I hypnotised it and took the keys. I  _ also _ discovered what cell past-me is in, as well.'

Blair breathed a sigh of relief, and they continued on.

*****

_ That was too close for comfort _ , the Master thought as they walked.  _ I must  _ not _ lose her again, either in her past, or her future. _

He stopped outside the door and took out the keys.

'Is he...  _ you _ ... in there?' Blair asked.

'I am!' He unlocked the door, and it swung open.

*****

The Master rushed to the door immediately, nearly tackling them, but pulled up short when he saw who it was, and his eyes widened.

'No....' he breathed. His other self grinned.

'Yes! It is me. Try not to mess up time with this situation.'

The Master glared. '"Mess up time"?! I rather think it is  _ you  _ who would be "messing things up" - and what manner of speech  _ is  _ that, anyhow?!'

His other self only smiled.

'Come; I have brought your TARDIS nearby; you and Blair should get back to it as quickly as possible.' He reached in his pocket and the Master flinched, but he only took out a pendant, which he handed to him.

'I shall lead you there, and then you both must return the pendants, otherwise  _ that _ would most  _ certainly _ cause a paradox.'

The Master scowled, but then saw that Blair, safe and sound, and immediately went over to her and hugged her.

'I am so sorry, Blair; if I had known I would be captured - '

She cut him off. 'It's all right; I'm just glad you're okay.' 

He straightened, and took her hand, and she gave him a weak smile. 

'Let's follow future-you to the TARDIS,' she said.

They followed the future-Master down the corridors. The Master felt peculiar with him in the same room; something was.... _ off _ about him, and he did not like it.

Finally, the TARDIS was in view, and the Master relaxed a little.

'This is where we part, then,' the future version of him said. 'I shall need those pendants back, now.'

'You better  _ take  _ them; you do not want to create more of a paradox than you already have,' the Master snapped. The other version of him only laughed and accepted the pendants back, and then he looked strangely at Blair.

'Blair, can I speak to you for a moment?'

'Yeah of course!'

Blair walked over to the other TARDIS with him, and they started talking in low voices. The Master wondered what was going on.

*****

'Blair, I want you to keep this with you at all times,' the Master said, handing her a folded piece of paper. 'I mean that: keep it with you  _ always _ , and only open it in your darkest hour.'

Blair stared at the note. What could it possibly mean?

'My "darkest hour"?' she asked. 'You're not meddling in my future, are you?' He shook his head.

'No, dear Blair. I'm only making it a little more bearable. I....I  _ wish _ I could do more.'

Blair started to wonder if this had anything to do with what the Doctor had tried to tell her in the library. She looked up at the Master, and could sense him barely holding something back in his mind; something that spoke of danger and fear and grief. She shuddered.

'I  _ will _ ,' she said. She reached out, and gave him a tight hug, which he returned, and then she let him go. He smiled faintly at her.

'Goodbye, Blair. Good luck.'

Blair nodded, and turned back to where the past version of her friend was.

She jumped when she heard a materialisation sound behind her, and looked back to see the Master grinning as his TARDIS faded into view. She remembered the TARDIS recall button the Alari had been so keen to use.

The TARDIS faded fully into view, and the Master waved a goodbye and disappeared within it.

Blair looked up at the Master; the one she knew in the present tense.

'I don't know what we  _ can _ do, but we have to stop this. It's the Alari, Master; they're the ones who're eating people's time and causing the anomalies - we have to stop them!'

The Master looked more frightened than she had ever seen him before. He quickly tried to cover it up, but she knew it was there. He looked frankly at her.

'Do you realise how dangerous this could be?' he said. Blair nodded.

'Yeah. But we have to do something. Maybe you can invent those pendants in the TARDIS lab, or something.'

'Perhaps....' the Master looked back at the ship. 'We should go back there; we will be shielded from anything they can do to us, and we can plan.'

''Kay.' Blair took his hand, and they turned back towards the TARDIS.


	5. Epilogue

The elderly woman stood and walked quickly over to him as he came in. 

'Did it go all right?' she asked. 'Did she get the note?'

The Master looked at her sadly, saying nothing for a moment, then strode over to the console and pulled the demat lever. 'She did.' He stared at the console. The woman came over and put a hand on his shoulder.

'You did the right thing, not saying anything.' The Master looked at her. It certainly did not  _ feel _ like the 'right thing'.

'You did,' she said. 'If you had said what happened, then everything would've happened differently. For all you know, things might not even be like they are now; they could've gone much worse. And no one would want that.'

The Master hated the thought of not flicking the fast-return switch; running out and telling Blair to avoid the.... He closed his eyes. No. He mustn't. She was right. He smiled halfheartedly at her.

'Where to next, then?' he said. She grinned and reached over to the controls, programming several before reaching for the demat lever.

'Shall I?' she asked. The Master smiled and nodded, and she pulled the lever.

*****

_ The End.... _

_....Not quite yet. _


End file.
